Kurdish left: ‘The people of Iran should not be forced to choose between war or dictatorship’

Statements by the Kurdistan Democratic Communities Union, an umbrella organisation of Kurdish left organisations, and the Kurdistan Free Life Party, based in Iranian/Eastern Kurdistan, also known as Rojhelat. 

Kurdistan Democratic Communities Union: No solution can be achieved through war

Last night [June 13], Israel launched a wide-ranging airstrike operation against Iran. Unfortunately, this attack has further deepened the war that escalated on October 7, 2023, and which has already caused great harm to the people, leading to destruction and great suffering. The war, developed by states for the sake of power, authority, and hegemony, does not solve any problems and solely causes great harm to the people. Its only result is great suffering, death, loss, and destruction. The fact that war does not solve anything and only deepens and exacerbates the existing problems has been sufficiently demonstrated by the history of the Middle East, which has been marked by uninterrupted war for over a century. We condemn this war, which caused so much harm for the people. It must be realized by everyone that war is not a method to develop any solution. War policies must be abandoned.

As the Kurdish freedom movement, we act with awareness of this historical reality and truth. We believe that all the prevailing problems can and must be solved through democratic politics. Like the current way of democratic negotiation put forward by Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan. We call on everyone to reason with this understanding and act on this basis. The tactic of war must be abandoned, and instead the path must be paved for democratic politics, dialogue, and negotiations.

We reiterate that the solution to the problems in the Middle East can only be achieved through Democratic Modernity and the concept of ‘Democratic Nation’ put forward by Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan. It is a proven reality that with the Capitalist Modernity’s concept of a unitary nation-state, and with the greed for power, authority, and hegemony, it is impossible to establish a peaceful life in the Middle East, which has always been like a colorful garden of rights, beliefs, and cultures. This understanding, which has been pursued for over a century, has placed the Middle East in a major impasse. It is well known that Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan is making great efforts to overcome this historical impasse in the Middle East. His ‘Call for Peace and Democratic Society,’ developed on February 27, 2025, was aimed at overcoming this historical impasse. The deepening war and the harm it has caused to the people have once again highlighted the importance of this historical call. Based on this historical reality, we call on the people, particularly the women, and all democratic and social forces to further deepen their understanding of Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan and his historical call, to strengthen their organizations, and to unite firmly to develop a democratic solution.

Co-Presidency, KCK Executive Council

June 13, 2025

Kurdistan Free Life Party (Iran): Concerning the conflict between Iran and Israel

Since June 13, 2025, Israel has launched heavy attacks on the nuclear, military, and command centers of the Islamic Republic of Iran, targeting facilities and figures associated with the IRGC. The Islamic Republic’s subsequent retaliatory attacks against Israel are insufficient to deter its deadly strikes. This war is a final ultimatum from the global power system to the Iranian regime and will continue until the regime is completely restructured and neutralized.

This is undoubtedly not a short-term process but rather a crucial part of implementing the "New Middle East" project, which is a consequence of the Islamic Republic's policies of execution, repression, discrimination, corruption, impoverishment, and desperation. These policies have resulted in deep public resentment in Iran, driving Iranian society toward a radically oppositional and rejectionist stance against the current regime.

The Iranian people's joy at the weakening of the regime does not mean that they are pinning all their hopes on the outcome of the war. This is a war of power and conflicting interests, not a war of liberation for peoples and nations. It erupted as a result of the Islamic Republic’s expansionist and warmongering policies, showing no regard for the suffering of the Iranian people. The rulers initiated this war, and the costs are being borne by a population already struggling with social and economic crises. The high number of civilian casualties, especially women and children, in Iran and Israel during these attacks highlights the grim reality that states hold little value for people's lives.

The people of Iran should not be forced to choose between war and accepting a dictatorial regime. The Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK), which opposes the imposition of war on the people of Iran, emphasizes the principle of democratic struggle. It is the people’s democratic struggle and the unique "Jin, Jiyan, Azadi" (Woman, Life, Freedom) revolution that will bring freedom to Iran. Achieving the goals of our democratic revolution undoubtedly requires unity and collaboration among freedom-seekers, democratic forces, national fighters, women, and identity movements.

During this critical and decisive phase, we view the cooperation of Kurdish parties and the transition from party-based rule to popular self-governance in Kurdistan as a historic duty. We call on all forces, parties, and civil society organizations — with Iranian women at the forefront — to launch a new phase of the "Jin, Jiyan, Azadi" revolution. We declare our readiness to help initiate it.

We believe that transitioning to a Democratic Republic of Iran requires shifting perspectives and departing from power-seeking, nationalism, patriarchy, and centralism. We affirm our duty to defend our people and the other peoples of Iran against any form of repression or threat of massacre. We will fulfill this duty within the framework of legitimate self-defense of our rights and existence.

We call on all the people of Iran, especially those in Kurdistan, to organize within democratic, popular structures. Through complete solidarity, they can minimize the destructive impact of war on each other. Vital steps toward building a self-managed, democratic society include forming support groups for victims of war, establishing local rescue committees and financial cooperation committees, and preventing state mercenaries from infiltrating the population. In this regard, we invite all patriots, freedom seekers, and our party members to join us.

Council of the Free Life Party of Kurdistan

June 14, 2025.